Dansko
Table of Contents
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Introduction ...........................................................................................................................2 2 How did Dansko’s founder Peter Kjellerup’s Danish heritage affect the development of Dansko’s shoe line and its commitment to ethics and social responsibility? ...........................................................................................................................2 3 Why might employee ownership be a positive thing for a company’s growth and development? What might be some downsides? ......................................................................3 4 Is Dansko’s production in China a concern from an ethics and social responsibility perspective? Should its decision to return some production to the U.S. be viewed positively by its customers and stakeholders? ..........................................................................4 5 Conclusion .............................................................................................................................5 Appendix I: Advantages and Disadvantages of Employee Ownership. ...................................7 Bibliography .............................................................................................................................9
1
Introduction
Dansko, founded in 1990 is a US-based comfort shoe company strongly attached to the Danish culture. The heritage of co-founder Peter Kjellerup and the affection for nature and sustainability is deeply rooted in the company’s way of doing business. From a comfortable barn shoe selling to friends and family, Dansko grew into a multinational company with production stretching from China to Italy and a global customer base. Over the years, the company has received numerous awards for its exceptional social responsibility and sustainable initiatives such as
“Best for Workers” by non-profit organization B Lab, the
1
Introduction ...........................................................................................................................2 2 How did Dansko’s founder Peter Kjellerup’s Danish heritage affect the development of Dansko’s shoe line and its commitment to ethics and social responsibility? ...........................................................................................................................2 3 Why might employee ownership be a positive thing for a company’s growth and development? What might be some downsides? ......................................................................3 4 Is Dansko’s production in China a concern from an ethics and social responsibility perspective? Should its decision to return some production to the U.S. be viewed positively by its customers and stakeholders? ..........................................................................4 5 Conclusion .............................................................................................................................5 Appendix I: Advantages and Disadvantages of Employee Ownership. ...................................7 Bibliography .............................................................................................................................9
1
Introduction
Dansko, founded in 1990 is a US-based comfort shoe company strongly attached to the Danish culture. The heritage of co-founder Peter Kjellerup and the affection for nature and sustainability is deeply rooted in the company’s way of doing business. From a comfortable barn shoe selling to friends and family, Dansko grew into a multinational company with production stretching from China to Italy and a global customer base. Over the years, the company has received numerous awards for its exceptional social responsibility and sustainable initiatives such as
“Best for Workers” by non-profit organization B Lab, the
Bibliography: B Corporation. (2015a). About Dansko. Retrieved Feb. 04, 2015 from http://www.bcorporation.net/community/dansko B Corporation. (2015b). B the Change. Retrieved Feb. 10, 2015 from http://www.bcorporation.net/b-the-change Bradley, L. (2010, Feb. 12). Why Your 'Green ' or Vegan Shoes May Be Neither. Retrieved Feb Employee Ownership Australia & New Zealand. (2012, Feb. 27). The advantages and disadvantages of employee ownership for a company and an employee Feb. 05, 2015 from The Houston Cronicle: http://smallbusiness.chron.com/advantagesdisadvantages-employeerun-business-32054.html Hofstede, G 05, 2015 from The Nest: http://woman.thenest.com/advantages-disadvantages-employeerunbusiness-20934.html Loten, A McClatchy-Tribune. (2012, Mar. 25). U.S.-based Dansko struggles to produce shoes at home. Retrieved Feb. 05, 2015 from Cleveland.com: http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2012/03/us-based_dansko_struggles_to_p.html Randle, M. (2012, Oct.). Reshoring launching less-advanced manufacturing comeback in the South Manufacturing Will Return to the U.S. Retrieved Feb. 04, 2015 from The Boston Consulting Group: http://www.bcg.com/documents/file84471.pdf The ESOP Association. (2014, Oct. 01). Employee Ownership Month 2014. Retrieved Feb. 05, 2015 from http://www.esopassociation.org/news-landing/2014/10/01/employeeownership-month-2014 The National Center for Employee Ownership Employee Ownership. Retrieved Feb. 04, 2015 from http://www.nceo.org/employeeownership/id/12/ Trebilcock, B